Sources with knowledge of the situation have told the Herald that the latest offer is a legitimate one. It has been made by a group of investors entrenched in the American sports industry,seeking to diversify their interests and acquire a premium property in the Australian market.

Their interest has been brought to the table by Perry,who has acted as an intermediary between the parties. Given the club churned through more than a dozen chief executives since the Northern Eagles demerger,Perry’s stint on the northern beaches was one of the longer and more successful ones;he presided over the club’s 2011 and 2013 grand finals and helped it get back into the black financially.

Perry has been advising the prospective investors on the club’s market worth,although the Sea Eagles aren’t the only Australian sporting property they are interested in. Should the Penns knock back the offer,the focus will switch to other sporting franchises or opportunities.